The present invention relates to a water craft including a water-cooled engine and apparatus responsive to a shortage of coolant for the engine.
Relatively small water craft of the water jet type have become very popular. Such a craft includes a hull that forms an engine room, and an internal combustion engine mounted in the room. Generally in a conventional boat of such type, the cooling water leaving the engine is injected into the engine exhaust line and is discharged with the exhaust gas from the hull. If the coolant carrying pipe were to come out of joint or become clogged, there would be a resultant shortage of coolant, and the engine would become overheated.
Such a shortage of coolant has in the past been detected visually by the operator who may, for example, watch the flow of coolant through a bypass of the coolant pipe, or in a similar manner. This method is unsatisfactory because the operator may be distracted and not notice a shortage of coolant.
It is a general object of this invention to provide a simple and automatic apparatus for quickly responding to a shortage of coolant for the engine, and making the engine fail to operate and thereby prevent engine overheating.